Category: Game

PS4-exclusive God of War had a generous reveal at E3 2017. Not only did Sony show off a large chunk of gameplay, it also focussed on characters, bosses, and possible plot points.

Kratos’ son appears to be suffering from some kind of curse and he must embark with everyone’s favourite genocidal Greek on a journey that involves killing an assortment of monsters. God of War’s villain also makes an appearance, taunting Kratos, who is considered to be an outsider of the Norse realm wherein this game takes place.

God of War releases early 2018. Sony hasn’t given a concrete release date just yet. But if we take into account past releases in the franchise, you can expect it to be out in March. its unclear if the footage on display at the E3 2017 conference was on the PS4 or PS4 pro.

With Sony releasing the PS4 Pro after God of War’s reveal — which the developers state was done on a standard PS4, there’s always the temptation for developers to optimise the game for the newer, more powerful platform that is the PS4 Pro at the cost of skimping out on the existing one, which in this case is the original PS4. However this will not be the case with God of War. Revealed at E3 2016 after a fairly accurate leak, it seems that the game will run just fine on a regular PS4.

Safe to say there will be some additional visual enhancements for the PS4 Pro, but the fact that Barlog has stated it will run as it should on the PS4 should have many a PS4 owner sighing in relief.

Detroit: Become Human’s trailer begins with an android called Marcus leading a group of androids on a rescue mission. They want to help androids displayed at a store attain freedom. This mission is risky because human controlled sentinels appear at the scene to arrest them.

Marcus and his troops manage to take these on. In the trailer he says that the androids are superior to humans and there is no reason they should be slaves. This begins the journey of Marcus and his androids in Detroit: Become Human.

Marcus tells a bunch of androids that they are masters of their own destiny and that they need not serve humans any more. This appears to be an action-adventure game played from a third-person view where you can either choose violence or pacifism. Your choices have consequences in Detroit: Become Human.

You choose the violent path and many androids will die, but if you take the pacifist path, you will see a far better path towards Detroit: Become Human’s end. The trailer was brief but it did a good job of telling the story of androids’ struggles. The game appears to shape its story based on choices you make. Choices such as setting a store on fire or not could determine whether many of your fellow androids die.

The game has been in development since 2013, and this trailer seems to suggest that a release is due soon, even if no release date was announced at Sony’s E3 2017 event.

At Sony’s E3 2017 event, Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man trailer showed the superhero being at his witty and spidey best. The trailer starts with Spider-Man helping William Fisk in return for information. Some goons are seen controlling Fisk’s area, and the superhero dispatches them with ease.

Spider-Man then asks Fisk who is controlling demons, and Fisk says just look up to find out. When Spider-Man heads upstairs to the roof, he encounters one more demon. Regular goons are easy to get rid of, but these demons are much harder to take down and Spider-Man has to work quite a bit to take this one down. Then he finally sees the person controlling the demons. An important plot point here is that the same person who unleashes these demons across New York is known to be involved with lots of charities.

We noticed that the combat in this Spider-Man game is similar to that in the Arkham series. There are a lot of quick-time events and stealth is rewarded during combat. From the gameplay trailer, we saw a seamless transition from a warehouse to the open world. There was also an insane amount of destruction across New York as Spider-Man chased the villain, who was trying to escape in a helicopter.

Spider-Man manages to attach a massive container to the helicopter using his webs, and that makes the helicopter a kind of a wrecking ball as it flies across the city. This leads to total chaos. In trying to stop this helicopter, Spider-Man ends up having to contain a large crane that threatens to fall on buildings. Once he succeeds, he tries to track down the villain and when he makes it to the helicopter, we hear one of Spider-Man’s signature witty dialogues.

All of this makes Spider-Man appear to be a perfect fit in the able hands of Insomniac what with smart use of humour to make the game’s hero true to his comic book roots. There’s no exact release date save for a cryptic “2018” at the end of the trailer, but that doesn’t make us any less enthused for this PS4 exclusive.

At E3 2017, Sony announced Destiny 2 PS4 exclusives. Similar to the first Destiny, fans will get items and a single mission. These are as follows.

Destiny 2 PS4 Exclusives

Lake of Shadows Strike

Borealis Exotic Sniper Rifle

Competitive multiplayer map Retribution

Apex Ship

Exclusive gear

These items will be for PS4 Destiny 2 players only until Fall 2018.

Destiny 2 new release date

What’s more is that Destiny 2’s release date has been pushed up. Instead of releasing on September 8, the game will be out on September 6. This was first seen in the Destiny 2 gameplay trailer at Sony’s E3 2017 conference and was confirmed by Destiny Game Director Luke Smith on Twitter. Smith stated the game will be available on all consoles on September 6.

Destiny 2 beta date

The Destiny 2 beta begins on July 18 for the PS4 and Xbox One. It ends on July 23. PC owners will be able to partake in in beta in August. Considering the game is due on consoles on September 6, it’s obvious that Bungie, Activision, and Sony want to push pre-orders.

Destiny 2 PC release date

Keep in mind that the PC version of Destiny 2 will be available on October 24 with pre-orders live on Battle.net right now.

Destiny 2 PS4 Pro and Xbox One X frame rate and resolution

Previously it was discovered that Destiny 2 will be 4K at 30fps on the PS4 Pro. It seems that the Xbox One X version will have the same resolution and frame rate.

“The console, the PS4 Pro is super powerful, but it couldn’t run our game at 60. Our game’s this rich physics simulation where collision of players, networking, etc, and like, it wouldn’t run… [there’s] not enough horsepower there,” said Bungie’s Luke Smith to IGN.

“But there’s tons of GPU power in the PS4 Pro. That’s why we’re doing 4K, right?” Noseworthy added. “It’s on the CPU side. Destiny’s simulation, like we have more AI, more monsters in an environment with physically simulated vehicles and characters and projectiles, and it’s part of the Destiny magic, like that, like 30 seconds of fun, like coming around a corner and throwing a grenade, popping a guy in the head, and then you add like five, six, seven other players in a public event; that is incredibly intensive for hardware.”

Unlike Microsoft, Sony didn’t have a new console to show off at its E3 2017 event on Tuesday – that’s because the PS4 Pro has been out since November – but it did provide a good look at some of its most anticipated exclusive games, and other popular third-party titles. Here’s the biggest stuff from the PlayStation presser.

The new God of War is a father-son story
One of the most highly-awaited titles, the next God of War – simply titled eponymously – is a bit of a soft reboot and shifts to the Norse mythology. That doesn’t mean your favourite Greek myth hero, Kratos, is going anywhere though. This time, his son Atreus is with him for the ride as Kratos takes on an assortment of monster creatures. In between, you’ll have cut scenes featuring Atreus’ mother.

While you’ll play as Kratos throughout the game, you’ll be able to passively control Atreus with a dedicated button. The trailer focused on the father-son relationship, with Kratos teaching him how to survive and become a warrior. God of War will be a PS4-exclusive title, coming early 2018. It’ll be a single-player-only title, and is inspired by RPGs.

Spider-Man will be part stealth, and part bonkers
We know a new PS4-exclusive Spider-Man game has been on its way, and we got the first extended lookat some gameplay during the PlayStation E3 2017 event. The game will allow you to play stealthily at times, and very hands-on as the need arises. Wilson Fisk, who some of you might know from Netflix’s Daredevil, seems to be a minor villain in the game.

The trailer showed us that Insomniac Games have spent time in understanding the insane capabilities of Spidey’s agility and web strength, which allows for some crazy and unique stunts, as witnessed from the helicopter balancing act in the trailer. There was even a sneak mention of Miles Morales towards the end of the event, which is a good progressive step identity-wise that Marvel’s film efforts should take notes from.

Spider-Man doesn’t have a defined release date, just 2018 at this point.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is set in India
After an announcement back in December as a standalone chapter, Uncharted: The Lost Legacyclaimed the opening slot at the PlayStation E3 event, in the form of a live Indian classical music performance followed by a trailer that showed gameplay, story, characters, and its lush tropical setting: India.

Based on characters present in Uncharted 4 – Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross – players will search for the tusk of Ganesh in the new game. Hopefully, the game will give a nuanced portrayal of its setting, and stay away from any stereotypes. We’ll find out when it arrives August 22.

Destiny 2 moved up to September 6
Although Bungie held an extensive reveal in May, Destiny 2 was still present at the PlayStation E3 2017 event. We didn’t get a lot in the way of gameplay, but instead a bigger focus on what will be the game’s primary antagonist at launch: Dominus Ghaul, the leader of the Red Legion. Of course, the bigger reason for Sony was to show off its continued exclusivity deal with Bungie, which will give the PS4 access to exclusive weapons, gear, strikes, and a map.

And if you’re dying to play it, you’ll be happy to know Destiny 2 arrives two days earlier on September 6 for consoles. It’ll make it to PCs October 24.

Call of Duty: WWII feels grittier than ever
While the franchise’s return to its roots – World War II, to be precise – may feel like a retrace of its steps, it has allowed the developers to explore the setting in a way that wasn’t frankly possible earlier. For one, the studio didn’t have the resources it has now, and graphics performance has come a long way in all those years.

With the new Call of Duty, it feels like we’re going to get a much gritter, and gory portrayal of the Second World War. In other words, much like it was for the people involved. Of course, this being Call of Duty, it also means the action will be dialled all the way to 11. There’s close quarter warfare, fighting in the trenches, and taking out bombers with anti-air weaponry.

Plus, it’ll take you through the most well-known spots during 1941-45: France, Germany, Belgium, and the Soviet Union. Call of Duty arrives November 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

PlayStation VR is getting Skyrim and FFXV fishing off-shoot
If you thought PS VR would be left out of the discussion, you’d happy to know that wasn’t the case. The biggest one was Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by far, which didn’t get a release date, but the trailer did give a glimpse of what you can expect. Between VR and the Nintendo Switch, it seems Bethesda will ensure the acclaimed title can reap all its rewards before thinking of a new chapter in the long-running series.

There was a trailer for the VR spin-off to Final Fantasy XV, as well. It’s called Monster of the Deep, and it basically includes Noctis fishing, which is how he likes to spend time between the monster battles.

In between, we got trailers for a sci-fi side-scroller called Star Child, a story set in an asylum called The Inpatient, Moss featuring a bunny on two legs with an artificial limb, and a FPS called Bravo Team.

Marvel vs Capcom saga continues with Infinite
The biggest change with Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is two-on-two fights, instead of the usual three-on-three format. The trailer shown at E3 2017 wasn’t bothered with that at all though, instead focusing on the Marvel character list players would see: Captain America, Gamora and Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Hulk, Thanos, and even Ultron. It’s coming September 19 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Capcom also showed off a new Monster Hunter title at the event, which will bring the franchise out of Japan. It features dinosaurs, a giant sword, and a lot of running. Monster Hunter: World will release early 2018.

Days Gone involves hordes of zombies and infected giant bears
A gameplay trailer for Days Gone showed the protagonist’s skills and stealth gameplay, which can be turned into full-on action with an explosive that attracts zombies – known as “Freakers” that were created by a global pandemic – and takes out your enemies for you. The infection has also spread to giant, mutated bears, given what we witness in the trailer.

Days Gone still doesn’t have a release date, though.

A war is brewing between androids and humans in Detroit: Become Human
Announced almost two years ago, Sony’s first-party PS4-exclusive action-adventure title showed up at the PlayStation E3 2017 event without a release date, again. The focus was entirely on Marcus, an android disillusioned from his master-slave relationship with humans, who takes it upon himself to free others of his kind and take on the oppressors.

It’s set in futuristic Detroit City, and there are clear vibes of Watch Dogs – some hacking elements, and the aesthetic – as well as Deus Ex, which presents a similar conflict between humans and half-androids, so to say.

The Supreme Court is giving Microsoft another chance to stop a class action lawsuit filed by owners of the Xbox 360 video game system who claim the console has a design defect that scratches game discs.

The unanimous ruling on Monday said game owners could not use a procedural tactic to appeal a lower court decision denying them class action status. Such appeals typically aren’t allowed until a lower court makes a final ruling on the merits of the case.

Business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce, had urged the court to side with Microsoft. They said a ruling for the Xbox 360 owners would have made defending against class action lawsuits more expensive and pushed businesses to settle claims.

Microsoft has sold millions of Xbox 360 consoles since 2005 and says only 0.4 percent of owners report disk scratching. The company says damage in many cases was caused by consumer misuse and that that game contains warnings not to move the console while a disk is inside.

When a handful of Xbox 360 owners sued, a federal judge initially said the lawsuit couldn’t proceed as a class action. An appeals court declined to consider an appeal of that decision. The Xbox 360 owners then asked the judge to dismiss their case, a procedural move designed to get the appeals court to weigh in. Microsoft said that shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said for the court that voluntary dismissal does not count as a final decision that can be appealed. She said the tactic “invites protracted litigation and piecemeal appeals.”

Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with the outcome, but wrote separately to offer different reasons. He said the game owners no longer had a case at all against Microsoft once they agreed to dismiss their claims. Thomas was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Justice Neil Gorsuch did not participate in the case, which was argued before he was confirmed to the court.

In terms of visual fidelity, video games might have taken giant leaps in last two decades but very few games can match the nostalgia of playing Age of Empires on old-school computers back in the day. Seems like this nostalgia will soon be getting a resolution fix as at E3 2017 in the US on Monday, Microsoft announced during PC Gaming Show that the remastered version of the game – called Age of Empires: Definitive Edition – will be coming to Windows 10 PCs later this year in UHD.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition will allow users to play the real-time strategy game from MicrosoftStudios in up to 4K resolution and will feature upgraded art assets and a brand-new narrative. The remastered version of the game will feature hundreds of new as well as rebuilt sound effects.

In terms of game modes, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition will come with both single player and multiplayer modes. Additionally, there will be a classic mode that will provide users with the gameplay from the original series. Gamers will be able to play all the civilisations from the original Age of Empires and the Rise of Rome expansion as well, as per a post by game developer Forgotten Empires.

The game will be coming later this year but those who are interested can join the beta via the Age of Empires: Definitive Edition official website. Interestingly, Microsoft mentioned that this announcement is just a start and it will be rolling over to company’s Gamescom event, where some more information will be shared regarding the franchise. In all likelihood, this can be considered as a tease for the next entry in the game series.

At the ongoing E3 2017 in Los Angeles, California, Sony announced some of its most anticipated gamesfor PlayStation for the year including God of War, Spider-Man and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, to name a few. Console titles aside, the company also introduced PlayLink, which allows users to play games with family and friends using their smartphones and tablets.

PlayLink is aimed at creating a fun, interactive way to play games in a social setting. Based on a video Sony released showcasing the feature, PlayLink requires a smartphone or tablet, a TV, and a PlayStation 4 console, which, when set up, lets you and your group of family or friends play interactive PlayLink titles.

“PlayLink games turn your smartphone or tablet into a versatile controller – you can swipe, pinch, drag, tilt, rotate or even snap selfies and draw crafty doodles, depending on the game. No matter which title you choose from our PlayLink collection, it’s guaranteed to be a slick pick-up-and-play experience,” Sony said in a blog post.

PlayLink titles range from crime thrillers to quick-fire quizzes. In one of the videos, for example, you see a group of people playing That’s You! – a quiz-based app that “challenges you and up to five friends to get personal and find out what you really think about each other.” This will be one of the first titles for PlayLink and will be available for PlayStation Plus members for free starting July 4.

Another video shows a crime and narrative-based game called Hidden Agenda that allows up to six people to join in. The game requires the players to make tough, quick decisions as the story progresses, which will also influence the way the game moves forward.

Sony sees PlayLink as something that can come in handy during social gatherings as well as rope in new players to video games. It also reminds one of Jackbox Games’ Party Pack multi-platform social games. Some other PlayLink titles that can be expected soon include Knowledge is Power, Frantic, and SingStar Celebration.

The Nintendo event at E3 2017 is called Nintendo Spotlight. Last year saw an emphasis on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This year should see Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, and a host of other Nintendo Switch games. Here’s what you need to know.

Nintendo E3 2017 live stream start time and date

The Nintendo Spotlight E3 2017 begins at 9pm PDT on June 12 (9:30 am IST on June 13).

Where to watch the Nintendo E3 2017 live stream

There are three places for you to check out all the action:

Nintendo’s website

The Nintendo Twitch channel

The Nintendo YouTube channel

Nintendo E3 2017 live stream – what to expect

Super Mario Odyssey should have an official release date (which, like most things at E3 2017 was leaked alongside a delay for Xenoblade Chronicles 2) as well as additional gameplay information and features. Splatoon 2 may see some more details revealed too. We could also see Nintendo explain plans for its online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch too. Perhaps Skyrim for the Nintendo Switch could see a release date and Nintendo’s plans for the Virtual Console may be made public as well.

Metroid Prime 4 is in development for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo revealed at E3 2017. The first three games in the series have been widely recognised as classics in the Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii libraries respectively. It is unknown at this juncture when the game will be released or which studio is developing it.

Prior entries in the Metroid Prime series were developed by Retro Studios. And while there have been spin-offs such as Metroid Prime: Federation Force, nothing has come close to what the original trilogy delivered.

For the uninitiated, the Metroid trilogy had you in the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran who was tasked with exploring varied, alien landscapes, battling space pirates, and solving puzzles along the way. It differed from earlier Metroid games with its first-person perspective, unique control scheme, and fully-realised 3D environments. Chances are Metroid Prime 4 should have a similar direction with some modern twists to the formula akin to how Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Hopefully more information on Metroid Prime 4 is on the way. It’s not unusual for Nintendo to announce a game so early in development (much like it did with Breath of the Wild) but it does make us curious for what to expect.